Top 10 Homestead Chicken Breeds
by Michelle
Published January 28, 2025
With more than 1600 chicken breeds recognized worldwide, how can you choose the top 10 homestead breeds? As a homesteader, I look for certain criteria when getting birds each year: Weekly Egg production, hardiness, dual purpose, foraging ability, and sustainability.
Criteria for Choosing Homestead Breeds
Egg production
When selling eggs off the farm, production is important. Look for breeds that lay an average of 4-6 eggs weekly. To narrow it down even more, choose breeds that lay medium to extra large eggs.
Hardiness
Some breeds do not handle heat or cold well. Be sure to choose chickens that are hardy in all climates, or make sure they are suitable for your area’s weather.
Dual Purpose
Choosing a dual-purpose breed is a sustainable approach for the homestead. These breeds are used for meat and eggs, you can also hatch your own chicks if you keep a rooster around. Most dual-purpose roosters weigh in at around 9.5 pounds or more when fully grown.
Foraging
Chickens are natural–born foragers. During the warmer months, chickens can spend most of their time foraging for insects and plants, which offsets the supplemental feed you provide them the rest of the year.
Sustainability
Keeping a rooster in the flock to fertilize eggs, allows me to hatch eggs when needed. A typical hen-to-roo ratio is 10:1.
My Top 10 Favorite Homestead Breeds
Here are my favorite Homestead breeds that meet my homestead criteria:
Barred or White Plymouth Rock
Hens mature at 16-20 weeks of age. Roosters average 9.5 lbs
New Hampshire Red
Hens mature at 12-16 weeks of age. Roosters average around 8.5 lbs
Dominique
Hens mature at 16-20 weeks of age. Roosters average around 7 lbs
Rhode Island Red
Hens mature at 16-20 weeks of age. Roosters average around 8.5 lbs
Wyandotte
Hens mature at 16-20 weeks of age. Roosters average around 8.5 lbs
Black Australorp
Hens mature at 15-20 weeks of age. Roosters average around 8.5 lbs
Black Jersey Giant
Hens mature at 16-24 weeks of age. Roosters average around 13 lbs
Orpington
Hens mature at 20-24 weeks of age. Roosters average around 10 lbs
Welsummer
Hens mature at 16-20 weeks of age. Roosters average around 7 lbs
Delaware
Hens mature at 16-20 weeks of age. Roosters average around 8.5 lbs
These breeds are all unique in their own way. It is hard to choose just one for the homestead flock, so why not get one of each? Do you have any favorite homestead breeds? Share them in the comments with us!
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